|
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
Search this Thread | 31,613 views |
2nd September 2021, 16:19 | #31 | |
BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Chennai
Posts: 823
Thanked: 3,450 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
Please keep us updated on your hunt. | |
(3) Thanks |
The following 3 BHPians Thank Stribog for this useful post: | CarCynic, girimajiananth, shancz |
|
3rd September 2021, 12:29 | #32 | |||||||||
BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 663
Thanked: 682 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
I did not find the Himalayan to be very appealing and also the various reliability issues which you have rightly pointed out. The interceptor is probably too much for me. The 2 cyl engine will return very poor FE and the initial cost is upward of 3L. The TVS 310 is too aggressive for me and BMW is very expensive for me to buy and maintain. I am yet to TD the dominar. Quote:
Quote:
Are you saying Honda Highness is better than meteor ? Please clarify. I will consider the Dominar after a TD. Its difficult to find a pre worshipped bike. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
I dont know the cost of BMW, but I am sure its expensive for me. My pokcets are not deep enough for a BMW. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
One reason I am not keen on the classic is the lack of tube less tyre. | |||||||||
(1) Thanks |
The following BHPian Thanks girimajiananth for this useful post: | shancz |
3rd September 2021, 13:59 | #33 | ||
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: pune
Posts: 2,391
Thanked: 2,678 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
Quote:
| ||
(1) Thanks |
The following BHPian Thanks sukiwa for this useful post: | CarCynic |
3rd September 2021, 14:34 | #34 | ||
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Ranchi
Posts: 1,972
Thanked: 5,458 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
From what I collect from personal/others experiences the KTMs have the stiffest suspension of the lot. 2. The BMW 310GS would be 3.7lakhs and G310R would be 3.2lakhs on road Bangalore but the pinch is more on the maintenance so won't recommend it to you. Your initial list is good since it encompasses different types of bikes. But IMO your requirement points to either a street-naked or a retro. Some quick suggestions :
Will try to answer(as a bold inline comment) some of the cons you have mentioned in your first post. Quote:
Hope it helps and Good Luck. Last edited by shancz : 3rd September 2021 at 14:42. Reason: corrections | ||
(4) Thanks |
The following 4 BHPians Thank shancz for this useful post: | girimajiananth, Jakku, sukiwa, texmonster |
3rd September 2021, 18:29 | #35 | ||
BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 385
Thanked: 619 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
Quote:
Ref - I ride quick and my preference is a light yet stable bike which is comfortable and reliable (while riding, Braking as well as from a maintenance standpoint) I have a Gixxer 250 SF so probably I am a bit biased towards a Japanese bike. But based on the reviews, the Honda is better for people who ride a bit quicker, rev happy, while RE is for people who wish to be a bit more leisurely. Honda For me - - Better Engine Refinement, (though new gen RE is also competent) - Better Performance - Better Brakes (this is important for me) - Lighter - Better handling - Upright city riding stance - Better reliability RE - Better brand recall for some - Better at comfortable cruising in the city - More Cruiser based riding stance In all if you like retro tourers, you wouldn't really go wrong with either but I would prefer the Honda, especially if the price difference is not much. PS - Do TD an Interceptor, and check out ownership threads. And like someone else mentioned, do also consider the Himalayan. - Slick | ||
(1) Thanks |
The following BHPian Thanks Slick for this useful post: | girimajiananth |
3rd September 2021, 23:03 | #36 | |
BHPian Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 663
Thanked: 682 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
I will TD the KTM ADV or probably rent it once. As I mentioned earlier, I have no plans of off roading. I am looking at KTM as a tourer. The initial cost of interceptor is too high. 3L +. Not sure if I can extend my budget. The Himalayan can be considered. But I feel, the KTM Adv is a better bike compared to Himalayan. | |
() Thanks |
4th September 2021, 02:15 | #37 |
BHPian Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 42
Thanked: 147 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Lets start the other way around by eliminating bikes from your list. 1. Xpulse OUT. This is the king of offroading but it struggles equally keeping pace on the highway. Since you said you are not into offroading, you can safely omit the Xpulse. 2. Meteor OUT, the new Classic IN. The Meteor is a lovely motorcycle but the feet forward riding position puts all your weight on the spine and with pothole ridden roads that we have, it can cause longer term back damage. The Classic is all the goodies of the Meteor + better riding position, better parts availability and better resale value. Test ride it back to back with a Meteor and eliminate one of them. 3. Apache RTR 200 4v. OUT. By the way you have described the bike, it doesn't look like you have liked it a lot. It's a good all rounder but not really great at anything. Will get boring over time. You can give it a miss. 4. 250 Adventure not sure. It stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of highway abilities. Nandi hills, Coorg, Goa, Ladakh, it will do it all and do it at a 20-30 kph average cruising speed faster than the other bikes in the list. But then, you'll have to live with that engine heat and agressive power delivery all the time in the city. KTMs are reliable and relatively cheaper to maintain. The Adventure is extremely spacious and comfortable for the pillion as well. If only you can live with that always-on aggression, go for it. There's no such thing as "relaxed riding" with any KTM. 5. The Highness is a good city bike. Reliable, fuel efficient and well mannered. Ignore the tall gearing people are taking about, you'll get used to it. The clutch pull is extremely light, gears are precise, brakes are sharp, suspensions are well tuned for what they are. It has everything going for it in the city. It will struggle staying beyond 90-100 kph on the highway though. Also, no factory fitted wind protection available makes longer distances at higher speeds that much more tiring. I feel the call you need to take is based on what kind of highway riding you wish to do. If it is muti day, high speed touring, the 250 Adventure is your only option from this list. If it is just 100 km breakfast ride on weekends, take a call between the Highness on one side and the Classic or the Meteor on the other. Hope this helps. Happy riding! Ruhshaad |
(2) Thanks |
The following 2 BHPians Thank R.Daroga for this useful post: | girimajiananth, windiesel |
4th September 2021, 05:46 | #38 |
Newbie Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Tirunelveli
Posts: 11
Thanked: 45 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others I think Im qualified enough to answer this question as I'm owning a H'ness CB350 for 6 months time with 2200 Km on the odo and have had an extensive test ride of the Meteor 350 and my uncle owns one as per my recommendation and have also had driven my cousin's first gen Duke 250 and another cousin's Dominar 400 for a while. 1. Out of the bikes I've listed, I'd ask you to stay away from the Dominar 400 as it feels heavy, not nimble enough to handle city commutes and less refined when compared to other bikes in the list and also less fuel efficient. Not so comfortable pillion if its more than 10-12 Km commute. (absolutely OK to drop your wife in college). If highway only/touring solo is your main requirement, Dominar 400 is a great choice as its powerful and feels very torquey and handles high speeds very well. 2. If budget is nothing of an issue, looks of the KTM Duke 250 Adventure doesn't offend your wife and if she can handle the pillion seat, the 250 Adv is excellent as a city bike and for solo touring. Handles excellent, be it in slow or high speeds. Duke 250 is refined too and has a comfortable seating position |
() Thanks |
4th September 2021, 07:04 | #39 |
BHPian Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Visakhapatnam
Posts: 37
Thanked: 40 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others My suggestions would be the RE Interceptor or the Dominar 400. You would never feel the power lacking on the highway runs with pillion. Both offer decent comfort to the pillion rider. Maintenance does not burn a hole in your pocket. And both present a rather mature look. This would address your better half's concerns of being hit on by college girls |
(2) Thanks |
The following 2 BHPians Thank NirmalK for this useful post: | girimajiananth, shancz |
4th September 2021, 07:35 | #40 |
Newbie Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Tirunelveli
Posts: 11
Thanked: 45 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Cont'd.. Sorry I hit post quick reply by accident and you can get a fuel efficiency of 28-30 kmpl if you ride gentmanly. It should also be the most expensive motorcycle to maintain that's on our list. Keep in mind that I've ridden only the Duke 250 BS4 1st gen and not the BS6 Adv. Practical choices that ticks all your requirements and fit under uncle bikes are the H'ness CB350, Meteor 350 / Classic 350 Meteor/Classic 350 : As others point out, the J series RE 350's are not only tractable. But, very refined at the same time. Out of all the bikes we discussed previously, if comfortable, most plush and relaxed riding position is your high priority, my vote is for the Meteor. It can munch miles in the highways without much fatigue and also it tackles bad roads with its softer suspension setup. The rear seat should also feel better than the competition we've discussed so far. It also does look very good in my books and also shouldn't be much expensive to maintain as the Dominar 400 or the Duke 250 Adv. You can expect FE of 32-35 kmpl and I think that's very descent in this displacement category. New Classic 350 might be sentimental bike and a great looker. But, if you take touring into consideration, I think the Meteor offers better value for the money than the Classic 350 because Classic 350 is not as plush to ride as the Meteor and also you won't feel the Classic to be as quick as thr Meteor due to different tuning. (from the reviews). Classic also should have a descent pillion and I would rate the Meteor slightly above the classic as its OEM backrest is useful and feels slightly more comfortable. RE's weren't reliable back in the days and not now exactly. You might get lemons with any manufacturer and not just with RE's alone. The switch gear and paint quality is also much improved over the last generation and Meteor should very well fit in your requirements. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, Honda H'ness CB 350 : If refinement is what you are looking for, the Honda Cb350 sits on the top of this list. Be it the Duke 250, or be it the Meteor, CB350 is objectively very refined. Even above its comfortable speeds over 110 kmph, only its chassis can't handle. But, you wouldn't feel any jarring vibrations on the handlebars or seats or in the foot pegs. It's not my opinion. It's a fact. Seats : I should say the seats are roomy enough and its not as plush as the Meteor. But, slightly firmer seats are better for long distance touring than the softer ones. I've carried pillion for 85 Km on the Highway after a 200 km trip which comprised of city traffic and ghat roads. It's very good even to carry 2 adults if the frame is not that huge. Also, the split seats available as an OEM accessory slightly gets more room than the stock seats and can be fruitful if you think you need an extra little bit of room for the rider and pillion. Handling : If Duke 250 is not brought in this list, The CB350 H'ness's tackles the corners objectively better than the Meteor / Classic 350. It also stops quicker than the Meteor /Classic 350. The weight of the bike is very well distributed and you wouldn't feel that you are riding a bike of 194 Kg. As a CBZ Xtreme rider, I'm pretty sure you'd appreciate the CB350 more the Meteor within the city/town or at the winding roads. However with a stiff suspension, it won't feel comfortable if you are riding over a pot hole or bad patches of the road at slow speeds. At higher speeds, it irons out the shocks to a great extent. Performance: if the battle is for acceleration between the Meteor/Classic and the H'ness, The H'ness is quicker. Meteor / Classic or H'ness arent built for performance either. Any Japanese 250 will be quicker than these trio. But, that isn't our priority. One member pointed out Meteor and CB350 doesn't feel at home over 80 kmph. I'd strongly disagree with that. Without much wind impact, even without proper riding gear, CB350 feels at home with just a descent helmet and gloves on barring Riding jackets and riding pants. It feels sweet between 100-110 Kmph while riding solo and can creep to 135 kmph or so at the max. I'm 5,9 and 62 Kg for your reference.the Meteor can also do 110 but, with a slight buzz when compared to the CB350. It's evident if one rides both the bikes back to back on the same road. Gearing : The gearing of the H'ness is polar opposite to Meteor. Its love or hate. You need to work with the gears too frequent when compared to the Meteor/Classic. But, the clutch feels the lightest when compared to other bikes on our list and shifting is just a breeze. The only time you can find neutral accidentally is shifting up from 1st. But, that's a user error and I've not seen any false neutral on my bike so far on any occasions except twice or thrice shifting from 1st to 2nd and I'm pretty sure that's my mistake. Duke 250 is also geared tall (exact opposite of a Duke 200). Stay within 3rd in the city (Till 60 Kmph). Shift to 4th only if you have an open road and like to cruise on 80 Kmph for long. Stay on 4th gear till 110 Kmph and shift to 5 th only to cruise between 100 kmph and up. Even if you ride the CB350 on 4th gear between 90-100 kmph, the FE doesn't drop by a huge margin and also the engine feels silky smooth. Brake pads issue : Im aware that some people are facing that issue. But, no brake pad is ever made to wear on 2k km. Mine did 2,200 +. No squeaking or no loss of bite in my case. It feels much more confident to brake on the H'ness than the Meteor. Not just that, CB350 is also very fuel efficient. Even if driven at Highways between 100-110 kmph for 100 km and varying the speeds and working on gears inside the city and also the ghat sections for 40-50 kms,The H'ness returned 33 kmpl which I think it's excellent. If ridden moderately in the city, achieving 35 kmpl is much more easier with the H'ness than achieving 35 kmpl with a Meteor. Some even claim they get 38-39. But, 33-35 Km is very close to reality even when ridden spirited. Now to conclude, If Bigwing is close to you (under 50 km) and if you are OK with tall gearing and you like the charming looks of the H'ness, H'ness is theoretically / objectively a better bike than the Meteor. I say this not because I bought this bike. if you check the media reviews, everyone would echo the same merits that I'm listing here. When they come to the verdict, they use Bigwing as the reason of the demerit and crown the RE as the J platform 350 is surprisingly very good. But, Not as refined as H'ness. Not my opinion. Its a FACT. So, for mixed City + Highway usage, one can't go wrong with the H'ness. You should be choosing the Meteor if Bigwing is far away and you had to be riding your bike mostly on slightly bad roads and if you are going to use it for highway only. Don't worry about the broken Himalayan Chassis. No other bike manufacturer in the segment sells bikes as close as RE in numbers. Not even half of their sales. There are many happy customers and the service network is huge and spread wide over the country and also its not a complicated machine to repair. You're not going to sacrifice much on anything that's on your list no matter you choose Meteor or the H'ness. Both should fit very well. Test ride extensively for 1 hour back to back and make a decision. I was lucky to test ride both the bikes back to back on the same road and made a choice that suits me. As I'm a new member, I couldnt DM you. If you want a virtual tour or any ownership questions on the H'ness or the Meteor, please feel free to drop a message on WhatsApp /Telegram on 9042609747. Cheers. |
(4) Thanks |
The following 4 BHPians Thank syednizamudeen for this useful post: | Nimz, pachchu77, ram.iyer95, sukiwa |
4th September 2021, 07:38 | #41 | |
Newbie Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Bhagyanagar
Posts: 9
Thanked: 41 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
| |
() Thanks |
|
4th September 2021, 08:49 | #42 | |
Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2020 Location: Ranchi
Posts: 1,972
Thanked: 5,458 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
If you like it, as suggested by others, TD that too. I thought you didn't want the 400 since you had mentioned only D250. Either way and again get the bike which you like, keeping the specs aside. | |
(1) Thanks |
The following BHPian Thanks shancz for this useful post: | girimajiananth |
4th September 2021, 10:21 | #43 |
BHPian Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Palakkad
Posts: 622
Thanked: 1,417 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others |
(1) Thanks |
The following BHPian Thanks rohitoasis for this useful post: | girimajiananth |
4th September 2021, 16:14 | #44 |
BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: mumbai
Posts: 694
Thanked: 979 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others
Hi thread owner unfortunately I would go against the stream and play spoil sport here. Your main reason is to commute that is what I understand and not to ride fast like maniac. If you want to commute in horrible Bangalore traffic- What you should have:- 1) A light weight flickable bike. 2) ABS on both wheels Safety is paramount 3) Smooth engine less NVH 4) Good seat space so that you can change your position in longitudinal direction and feel comfortable. 5) Good seating position is extremely important. 6) Slightly raised handlebars like in AdV's 7) Reasonable FE considering upward fuel trend 8) Good progressive brakes 9) Good quality tyres for rain and slush 10) Good ground clearance so that in Potholes you don't scrape bikes belly. 11) Sufficient pickup to fill in traffic gaps quickly 12) Light clutch 13) Short turning radius 14) Ease of spare parts availability and dealership 15) Known good quality cheap spares 16) Extremely reliable, its your office commute daily Following bikes are ruled out because- Meteor and Honda CB350 - Weight more, not flickable All KTMs- Gearings are short and need frequent shifting, HighNVH race machines Impulse - You are not going to offroad not good pickup, not selling in large numbers Apache- Bad Handlebar position. Now what to do? No bike is perfect. You want good pickup, and comfort both so my solution Buy Apache RTR 200. Change the Handle bar immediately with Honda Unicorn Handle You will also have to use Honda Unicorn front brake hose and use Shine clutch cable and Fiero or any similar throttle cable. Rs 1500 cost. Many people would not be able to identify you have changed handle it gels so well. Dosent look odd at all. What you have now is a supremely comfortable seating position perefect for long rides and daily commute. No wrist pain. Good brakes, Multi-channel ABS. Apaches are very reliable. Apaches are no more grinding machines because they have now balancer shaft built in inside. Excllent pickup. Good fuel economy. High flickability. Fun in corners. One cautionary note if they sell the bike with TVS tires throw them straight away ask them money and straight away put the best in Pirelli. 6k front and Rear set available. Go for it. You wont repent this suggestion. I did this to my old10 year Apache and am struggling to find similar bike in market! If you think that the foot pegs are rear set wont it cause a problem, no not at all infact rear set foot pegs has eliminated my knee pain which I had when I used to drive Victor for 10 years. Feel free to connect me for any conversion help. I dont recommend modifications but when a simple modification greatly, substantially enhances your comfort by leaps and bounds on needs to try it and reap the benefits. |
(4) Thanks |
The following 4 BHPians Thank amit_purohit20 for this useful post: | girimajiananth, pavanmadhini, shancz, sukiwa |
5th September 2021, 00:30 | #45 | |
BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 385
Thanked: 619 Times
| Re: Buying advice: Hero Xpulse vs TVS Apache RTR 200 vs Honda Highness vs Others Quote:
I think you need to test the following during TD, 1. How your pillion likes the shortlisted bikes (if you plan on touring 100+Kms two up) 2. How you find the engine behaviour, Duke will make you ride in an aggressive fashion, Honda will be neutral while RE will be relaxed, varying personalities. Take TDs and see what suits you. Do share your experiences as well. - Slick | |
() Thanks |